It might seem silly to someone who has never done breathwork because we all breathe naturally and without thought all the time. Why would someone want to waste precious time working on breathing?
I use one form of breathwork to help calm myself down when I get agitated or angry. This form consists of a 4-count inhale and an 8-count exhale. Most people inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth but you can do any combination of nose or mouth breathing that is most comfortable for you. Another variation is pursed lip exhaling with the same 4 to 8-count inhale and exhale. You purse your lips which makes it easier to slow down the exhale portion. Having a longer exhale than inhale helps increase oxygen and decrease CO2 in the body as well as slowing down your heart rate. When we are agitated and angry the first things we notice are increased heart rate and our breathing speeds up and becomes shorter. By slowing our breathing and heart rate we can begin to relax and become more mindful of what is triggering us instead of just reacting to external stimuli.
Prior to meditating I sometimes do breathwork. Mostly I do long slow breathing concentrating on relaxing my body more with each exhale until I feel very relaxed and ready to meditate.
Box breathing is another form of breathwork often used immediately after very stressful experiences to lower stress. It consists of 4-counts of inhale, pause, exhale, pause. Like a box, you continue to go through the four steps for four seconds each step. If too difficult you can also reduce to 3 counts.
4-7-8 breathing can benefit getting relaxed and preparing for sleep. You inhale for a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of seven, then exhale for a count of eight.
There are many types of breathwork you can find on the internet including holistic breathing techniques which can leave you feeling states such as warmth, light-headedness, tingly, and relaxation. These can be more advanced and if overdone can cause dizziness so should be done with someone who is aware of the proper techniques and is familiar with your personal health status.
As a whole breathwork can help cope with big emotional stress and increase cognitive function as well as increase oxygen within the body which is good for the heart and lungs. It feels good, so give it a try!